Interstate Moving Relocation Guide

Interstate moving is a lot easier than one would actually think. By itself, moving, whether interstate or even inter country, is not a difficult task given the technology and business advancements made. Whichever type of relocation you are looking for, whether local, interstate, or even to a new country, there are a few things you would need to know which will help make your move easy, quick and absolutely painless.

Let’s start with the most important aspect, which is deciding on the interstate moving company you wish to hire. There are a variety of businesses you can chose from when moving within the United States, such as interstate relocation services, interstate motor carriers, interstate removal companies, long distance movers and interstate moverвЂ™s. Each have their own positive and negative features and you must know what you are looking for when selecting the best interstate moving company. It would be an excellent idea to make a small list of the specifics you require which would be best suited for your particular move and then contact the company which best fulfils your requirements.

Before you decide to actually move, you will need to work your way through a myriad of details. The best way is to accomplish this is to ensure you have a detailed checklist, as well as information on interstate storage companies along with different interstate moving quotes from various companies. This information can help you in two ways. It can help you decide which company fits your budget whether you are just moving house or going through an interstate move, and you can always keep handy these moving tips which can make your move a lot easier and as painless as possible.

Let’s now break up all the aspects of interstate moving and all those little details that you must keep in mind so that your move is conducted without very few problems.

Interstate moving checklist

Disconnections for phone, electricity, cable, gas, internet, and other utilities. Find out the details required for disconnecting these items and what paperwork is required. If you have the residential address of your new house, then find out if these connections are valid there and what needs to be done to install gas, electricity, phone, cable and internet at your new place.

Get information on change of address notifications for banks, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, your service providers, health funds and other funds where a residential address is required. It is important to complete all of these notifications, so there is no loss of communication between you and the concerned authority.

Do you currently rent your furniture? Find out if you can carry the same furniture and continue paying the rental at your new location, or make the necessary arrangements to have it returned.

Do you have any current loans where you make weekly or monthly payments? If you are considering changing your banking institution, make enquiries regarding making the payments at the new bank location along with details such as how to make the payments.

Make sure you pick up any dry-cleaning, or return any library books, or pick up any equipment sent in for repairs?

Fill out the appropriate paperwork at your local post office for mail forwarding so that any mail is not lost in the transit phase.

Is your home a rented accommodation? Talk to your landlord, inform him of your impending move and ensure that you adhere to the leasing agreement regarding notice for vacating a rented apartment or home. If you own your home and you are planning to sell and buy a new home at yor new location, it is important to talk to your lawyer and realty agent to ensure the paperwork is taken care of and you have not missed any important details that could potentially derail your interstate moving.

Make a list of all your possessions:

List everything that you will be taking with you such as the TV, refrigerator and so forth.

List those items which you would like to keep in storage, especially if you know that your move is not a permanent one.

Make a list of all the items which you plan to sell or dispose of.

Ensure you have enough packing boxes for all your things, unless you are planning to hire packers and movers who will generally provide all the packing boxes.

Find out rates for packers and movers and get quotes from various packing and moving companies so you can decide which one suits your needs the best.

Plan a garage sale or put in advertisements in the local paper for those items you arenвЂ™t packing.

If you own a car or are going to be trading it in for a newer model, make the necessary arrangements to ship it.

For interstate moving check with the local jurisdiction regarding registering vehicles from out of state.

If you have children, find out the procedures and requirements for school at your new place of residence and ensure you have all the necessary paperwork for the kidвЂ™s relocation. Time your interstate moving in such a way that your children can start school at the beginning of the new school year so they will not have to try and catch up during the middle of the year.

Do you have a pet or pets? Do you plan to take them with you or are you giving them to a new family? Find out the rules about pets in your new place of residence. Get information about how you are going to make them travel. If you are planning a road trip then there are no problems but if you plan to fly or take a train then appropriate arrangements will have to be made for their transportation.

Are you or any one in your family under any medical supervision? Talk to your doctor about your impending move, get a referral and collect all relevant paperwork and medical records so the treatment can be continued without delay.

Once you have all these little details in place you will find that your interstate move is actually not so difficult and resettling will be a lot easier on both you and your family.

Selection of the best interstate moving company

Once you have your list of requirements ready, you can start calling around and researching the many interstate moving companies and hire the one that suits your needs.

All interstate moving companies, interstate relocation services, long distance movers, interstate movers, interstate removal companies and other related companies are basically the same type of business. The difference lies in the customer satisfaction they earn, the added facilities they provide and the user friendly approach they employ.

Today, all companies are well connected by email and phone and some even have tracking facilities so you can track your moverвЂ™s progress every step of the way.

Interstate moving quotes

This is the first step in the process of hiring an interstate moving company.Most companies offer free online quotes for their services. It is a good idea to get several quotes from several different companies to see what they are offering. You should be diligent in ensuring the following questions are answered by your potential interstate moving company:

Do they have packing as part of their quote?

What do they charge for packing? Do they charge per piece, per item packed; or, by the packing material used?

Does their quote inform you about liability and breakages that may occur and their approach to it?

Does packing and moving come as a package deal or can you opt for packing only and consider someone else for the actual moving?

Make sure the company you select has all the legal permits and required authority approvals to conduct their business.

When getting a free quote look carefully for any clause that may indicate that you are in a binding quote, which means you cannot use any other company. A free quote should be just that, free of charge, free of obligation and free of commitment until you say yes and/or sign on the dotted line.

Once you decide on the interstate moving company that suits you, see that there are no hidden charges and fees that may drastically throw off your budget.

Interstate movers vs. long distance movers

Interstate movers as opposed to international movers are moving companies that may or may not undertake moving out of the country or they may be limited in their area of operation. Some research will give you information on the geographical limits that the company operates in, and if your move is within these limits, then it may be better to engage a company that is smaller in size but more specific to your requirements.

Interstate movers may be smaller in size in terms of number of employees, and number of trucks and haulers at their disposal, but they are efficient and will give you the same services and features as most other interstate moving companies. Permits and licensing issues remain the same for all interstate moving companies irrespective of their size.

Long distance movers are companies which generally undertake short hauls as well as long hauls. These companies would generally be bigger with more carriers at their disposal. They are licensed for nationwide transportation of household goods and generally such large companies have all the facilities under one roof. They will take care of all your paperwork regarding the move, your car, your insurance etc. They supply experienced packers and packing material.

If you are considering interstate moving but the state of relocation is right across the country then you should perhaps consider looking into long distance movers.

Interstate removal companies vs. Relocation services

Interstate removal companies are those which are involved in the business of removals, whether it is furniture or pianos, household goods or antiques or any other item that you need removing. They also offer excellent storage options.

Usually items that are allocated for removal are those which are not going to be relocated with you. These would then require safe clean and dry storage conditions to ensure there is no spoilage or breakage during storage.

Removal companies offer packing, removal and storage at very competitive rates. There are lots of storage options so you can select the one that suits you the best. Sometimes removal companies offer removal along with packing and interstate moving for your other household items that you are going to use.

If you have furniture that requires storage then the storage space has to be clean, dry and properly ventilated so that your furniture does not get damaged by termites or the dampness in the air.

There are plenty of interstate removal companies to contact and with a little bit of research, you can select the one that suits you the best.

On the others side, interstate relocation services means just what the name states: relocation. This means they will help you relocate every item from your home to the new home.

Some relocation services may offer the option of helping in the purchasing of a new home or finding an office in the new area of your choice. They have contacts with real estate agencies that can provide viable and good relocating options. A list of requirements given to them would ensure that you get the place of your choice and in your budget. Relocation services also offer packing and storage.

Interstate motor carriers

Sometimes there is a requirement only for vehicle transportation or there are those who prefer to send their vehicle ahead of time. For this type of requirements there is an interstate motor carrier available which specializes in motor transportation. These are specialist carriers that meet the requirement of moving a car from one place to another. A little research will show you the various interstate motor carriers and you can then select the one which meets with your specific conditions.

DoвЂ™s and donвЂ™ts

Prior to signing anything, read the contract documents carefully and get someone from the company to explain the terms, if necessary.

Find out if others have used the company and get feedback and references from them.

There are different types of costs involved when moving interstate so ensure that your moving document has detailed all the costs and there are no hidden charges which may come up at later date.

Charges are generally based on weight and distance involved so see if you can get a copy of the tariff the moving company has so you know how you are being charged.

Insurance is another aspect to be considered. There are new federal rules in place that put the onus of providing standard coverage on the interstate moving company. Check how the insurance is calculated as it is generally weight based and not value based. Usually long distance movement is not calculated per pound but weighed per pound and the charges should be based on weight not volume of items. Remember charges based on volume can lead to dispute as there is some ambiguity in the overall calculation; besides, the added weight comes with its own issues and it is far simpler to increase the truck space than increase weight for the above reasons.

It is very essential for you to ensure that the company you are using is a proper interstate moving company and not a broker.
If you are dealing with a broker then find out the details of the company is recommending or enlisting for your requirement and find out all you can about it. As per law the company has to keep you informed about the company they are hiring or recommending that is doing the actual movement.

Another point to keep in mind is to ensure that the company is not billing you for the weight of the truck and weight of your personal belongings. Ensure that you see the weight ticket prior to and after loading. The weight before loading should then be subtracted from the total weight. This will give you the net weight of your luggage and the true cost of moving your belongings.

Make sure you have read all the documents pertaining to the shipping. If you donвЂ™t understand the legal wording, then have someone explain the little details to you. Sometimes it is better to take a lawyer along so all the technical details can be cleared up and you understand the full extent of your liability to the interstate moving company.

Keep your check off list ready and keep two copies of the same. There should be one member at the place of pick up who will check off the items as they are loaded and there should be one member at the drop off point where each item is checked off as it is unloaded. This way you know exactly what has been loaded and what has been unloaded.

Beware of companies that ask for cash payments only. It is prudent to make a part payment at the time of booking and loading and the final payment once everything has been off-loaded and settled in your new place to your satisfaction. Items missing should be registered immediately and donвЂ™t sign for goods received till everything is done properly. If there is any damage then put in your claim for it immediately. The longer you wait for the claim the more difficult it is to prove that the damage occurred in transit and not in the house after unloading.

Keep all important documents with you. They should not be packed away in the luggage being loaded in the truck. Keep all cash related paperwork with you and make sure your jewellery travels with you only.

The best interstate moving companies will always have their policies on their documentation clearly stated.
But even then, it is always best to be careful while selecting interstate moving companies for your interstate moving.